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The Victorian Lady

I am grateful for all the good advice that exists on the web, though at times it is daunting to filter through so many good sites. I know when I stumble across great advice as almost instantly I can connect it back to my own piece of work... its like an 'Aha! Eureka' moment.

One great example happened recently, after hearing Lucy Luck speak at a LWC event in London. I spent much of my time scribbling wildly into my old brown notebook.

The one point that sticks in my mind most, is that when you are writing in the first person, you sometimes end up sounding like an old Victorian Lady... which I guess, is great if your character is, indeed an old Victorian Lady. Not so great, if this is not the case.

I have started my main WIP in the first person, and after hearing this advice decided to re-read the first few chapters. Of course in places...I found her...that old Victorian Lady. She wasn't alone. The lady doth keep company. Yes, our dear Wills Shakespeare was lurking in the background. Amazing isn't it? Forget the old Victorian Lady, somewhere in the deep recesses I must be wearing tights and twirling a beard as I write. So, re-reading has lead to many hours of re-thinking, which in turn has lead to re-writing.

Now I wonder... if you could give one great tip for someone who is starting out on the scribe’s journey, what would that tip be?

Well, I only write to amuse myself, and don't have any great aspirations of becoming any sort of writer! But one thing that I learned was to make sure that you knew what you were writing about, so my advise would be, do loads of research into what you are writing about.Learn to take constructive criticism on the chin too, you learn by your mistakes!

Love this blog! Looking forward to reading more!Thank you for following, I'm now returning the favour.

Hi Lisa and Laura, thanks so much for posting on my wee blog. I love your blog! You are seriously funny gals! I shall endeavour blog more often, its a learning curve for me. Never fear, the Victorian Lady is undertaking a make-over as we speak...not sure she'll ever be Lady Gaga but maybe somewhere in between. Cheers!

Ha ha! I popped in here when I saw 'Victorian Lady', and didn't realize it would be an insult to Victorians (at least old ones.) ;)

I don't really follow how writing in first person can make you sound like an old Victorian lady? Is it just the fact that it's in first person? Because lots of people write in first person... And how does 'an old Victorian lady' sound? Like Jane Austen? Like Charlotte Bronte?

My advice to new writers: trust your voice. You can refine it so much you lose its zest and originality. Learn the craft, for sure, but never forget yourself in the learning. Revise, but not so deeply that you strip the work of you.

Thanks so much for visiting and posting! I'm sorry I just going through my posts again now and found yours!!

I think what Lucy meant was that she had read alot of MS in the first person where they started off in their own voice only to find somewhere along the way their own voice had transformed in to that of an old victorian lady. I think she meant - be careful not to fall into that trap and keep your original voice.